What I've Been Watching
Mar. 15th, 2004 01:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sdelmonteWe've finished the amazing compilation of mini-documentaries that make up the appendices for Two Towers. Even though TTT is (even with the extended scenes) my pick for weakest LotR film, the extras are fascinating and serve as a strong explanation for Jackson's choices about reworking the second book, a textbook for future filmmakers, and an education for the amateur film buff. There's a lot of information here about a wide variety of cinematic subjects, but to the DVDmaker's credit, nothing takes away from the magic and grandeur of the films or of the movies in general. Next up for us, I guess, will be the actors' commentary.
Firefly...We've been watching this at the rate of one episode a week, and are two eps away from the three unaired in America. I don't feeling like rushing through this, as once we're done, there's nothing new till Serenity opens (hopefully in 2005). The show seems ever-more brilliant, seen in order and in context, and seen with commentaries. The commentary for "Out of Gas" by writer Tim Minear and director David Solomon shows just how experimental Firefly was getting without being obvious about it. I am quite ready to call Joss Whedon a visionary, not merely a great writer but someone who understands the potential inherent in every hour of TV he works on. It's no wonder Fox cancelled it. They arent bright enough to understand.
Kingdom Hospital...The success of Stephen King's previous TV work, such as the ultraviolent but gripping "Golden Years" and the bonechilling "Storm of the Century" were enough reason to have high hopes for this short-run series. Alas, it is so very dull. Now, I missed the pilot, but there was a four-minute summary of it and I felt caught up. And then I saw why. Nothing was happening. It wasn't bad, just dull. Ed Begley and Bruce Davison were even rather good here. Still, not really worth my time, I am afraid. Like King? Stick to his books, or rent "Storm of the Century." Like haunted hospital dramas? Do what King did in the first place and watch the Danish miniseries this is based on (which I hope to do).
Wonderfalls...I wanted to like this show. The buzz was great, Tim Minear is one of the producers (and apparently will be writing some of it), and it's a fantasy show on Fox, which means it probably needs our help just to last thirteen weeks. And there is much to like about it. The lead actress, Caroline Dhavernas, is quite appealing and capable, the show's off-kilter look at life even before the Cute Idea behind the series is intriguing, and there's a sense that we won't see a show that takes itself too seriously. However, the premise - young overqualified shopclerk at Niagara Falls souvenir store is told by mysterious talking chatchkes to help people - is cute more than interesting, and the execution in the pilot was waaay over the top. Oh, and the acting in this aside from the star was pretty lousy.
But since Tim Minear is involved, I have to stay around at least till one of his scripts is aired. I just don't think I'll be hooked, though. Part of the problem is that I can't see the premise getting any less cutesy, or more complex. I just don't see this evolving into a darker show as Buffy did. But beyond that, I've gotten hooked on Tru Calling, a series with a vaguely similar premise (young woman is given chance by a mysterious Something to help people). I don't really think I want to watch this twice in a week, and I find Tru Calling has slowly grown into a mature and slightly offbeat show with a very good cast. If I had to pick one, Tru would win (and not because I'm a big Elisa Dushku fan).
Looney Tunes: Back in Action...The critics didn't care for this and the audiences didn't surface, so my expectations were rather low. Happily, Bugs and Daffy exceeded them in jsut the first ten minutes. This is not a flawless film. Its story is all over the place, uncertain if it's a spy spoof or a Hollywood satire or just a longer cartoon. And Steve Martin is unusually poor in his role as the Dr Evil-esque head of the evil Acme Corporation.
But Bugs and Daffy are back. And that's all that matters. Director Joe Dante and his writers and animators set out to restore the Toons to their true selves after the debacle of Space Jam. So Daffy is once again egotistical, greedy, cowardly, foolish and funny, stealing scenes from everyone (even Bugs once or twice) and making sure he gets his due. Bugs is the calm, cool and collected star, loyal to Daffy but never unnecessarily kind to his co-star. The two are played off each other to perfection, aided by Joe Alaskey's successful recreation of the classic Mel Blanc voices.
The film also offers a marvelously clever sequence where the Toons flee through famous painting in the Louvre; some hysterical throwaway gags involving a number of famous and obscure Toons (not all of them Warner Bros. stars); and some old classic jokes visited and twisted.
As the same time, perhaps almost competing with Bugs and Daffy, Joe Dante throws in references to a lot of spy films, SF films and other familiar material. I'm not sure that having Timothy Dalton playing a James Bond analog adds much, or that having the heroes of the film battle an army of grade-B sci-fi aliens from famous films and from one particular British TV show means anything to anyone who isn't a grade-B movie buff (as Dante is). But it works for him, much as it did in the hysterically over-the-tops Gremlins sequel of many years ago.
Lastly, there is Brendan Frasier, playing the usual comic role with his usual timing and skill, albeit as a second banana to a duck. He's not Bob Hoskins, but then Hoskins didn't have to compete with Daffy Duck.
The DVD has two interesting extras. The first is a set of deleted scenes, with some "commentary" from Bugs and Daffy. While the alternate opening and ending are not as good as the final choices, they are intriguing and rather funny. The second is a Road Runner/Coyote short by the film's creative team. While it's reasonably cute, it only proves that no one can do the Coyote justice as well as Chuck Jones.
Lion King 1 1/2...I should note that I have a discount card from Blockbuster to rent any film for $2 through April 14. Otherwise, I don't think I would have spent money on this. But it's pretty good for a Disney straight-to-home sequel, carried by a cute premise and the return of the original Lion King cast.
The idea is that Timon and Pumbaa had their own adventures off to the side. If Lion King is Hamlet, this is Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead. Many events are either revisited or referenced, often to a surprising amount of comic effect. It's also interesting that as usual, a Nathan Lane character is made "Jewish," here by giving him Julie Kavner as mother and Jerry Stiller as an uncle, and by throwing in a song from the one major Zero Mostel work Lane hasn't done yet. Funny thing, given that Lane is Irish. Lane shows again his talent for voicework, and I think some of Lane's own insecurity about his life and his stardom trickle into his performance.
The film also has a certain degree of MST3K-style fourth wall-busting, and while it gets silly sometimes, it reinforces the genial and silly tone of the film. It also does pad it out a bit, making it just barely 77 minutes.
If you liked the original film and need something to entertan the kids, you can do worse. If you are like me and thought the best thing about the film was the comic relief, you might enjoy this. if you loved the original with a passion, you might not love all the new info but you should enjoy some of it. If nothing else, it looks rather good for a Disney el cheapo animation job.
Firefly...We've been watching this at the rate of one episode a week, and are two eps away from the three unaired in America. I don't feeling like rushing through this, as once we're done, there's nothing new till Serenity opens (hopefully in 2005). The show seems ever-more brilliant, seen in order and in context, and seen with commentaries. The commentary for "Out of Gas" by writer Tim Minear and director David Solomon shows just how experimental Firefly was getting without being obvious about it. I am quite ready to call Joss Whedon a visionary, not merely a great writer but someone who understands the potential inherent in every hour of TV he works on. It's no wonder Fox cancelled it. They arent bright enough to understand.
Kingdom Hospital...The success of Stephen King's previous TV work, such as the ultraviolent but gripping "Golden Years" and the bonechilling "Storm of the Century" were enough reason to have high hopes for this short-run series. Alas, it is so very dull. Now, I missed the pilot, but there was a four-minute summary of it and I felt caught up. And then I saw why. Nothing was happening. It wasn't bad, just dull. Ed Begley and Bruce Davison were even rather good here. Still, not really worth my time, I am afraid. Like King? Stick to his books, or rent "Storm of the Century." Like haunted hospital dramas? Do what King did in the first place and watch the Danish miniseries this is based on (which I hope to do).
Wonderfalls...I wanted to like this show. The buzz was great, Tim Minear is one of the producers (and apparently will be writing some of it), and it's a fantasy show on Fox, which means it probably needs our help just to last thirteen weeks. And there is much to like about it. The lead actress, Caroline Dhavernas, is quite appealing and capable, the show's off-kilter look at life even before the Cute Idea behind the series is intriguing, and there's a sense that we won't see a show that takes itself too seriously. However, the premise - young overqualified shopclerk at Niagara Falls souvenir store is told by mysterious talking chatchkes to help people - is cute more than interesting, and the execution in the pilot was waaay over the top. Oh, and the acting in this aside from the star was pretty lousy.
But since Tim Minear is involved, I have to stay around at least till one of his scripts is aired. I just don't think I'll be hooked, though. Part of the problem is that I can't see the premise getting any less cutesy, or more complex. I just don't see this evolving into a darker show as Buffy did. But beyond that, I've gotten hooked on Tru Calling, a series with a vaguely similar premise (young woman is given chance by a mysterious Something to help people). I don't really think I want to watch this twice in a week, and I find Tru Calling has slowly grown into a mature and slightly offbeat show with a very good cast. If I had to pick one, Tru would win (and not because I'm a big Elisa Dushku fan).
Looney Tunes: Back in Action...The critics didn't care for this and the audiences didn't surface, so my expectations were rather low. Happily, Bugs and Daffy exceeded them in jsut the first ten minutes. This is not a flawless film. Its story is all over the place, uncertain if it's a spy spoof or a Hollywood satire or just a longer cartoon. And Steve Martin is unusually poor in his role as the Dr Evil-esque head of the evil Acme Corporation.
But Bugs and Daffy are back. And that's all that matters. Director Joe Dante and his writers and animators set out to restore the Toons to their true selves after the debacle of Space Jam. So Daffy is once again egotistical, greedy, cowardly, foolish and funny, stealing scenes from everyone (even Bugs once or twice) and making sure he gets his due. Bugs is the calm, cool and collected star, loyal to Daffy but never unnecessarily kind to his co-star. The two are played off each other to perfection, aided by Joe Alaskey's successful recreation of the classic Mel Blanc voices.
The film also offers a marvelously clever sequence where the Toons flee through famous painting in the Louvre; some hysterical throwaway gags involving a number of famous and obscure Toons (not all of them Warner Bros. stars); and some old classic jokes visited and twisted.
As the same time, perhaps almost competing with Bugs and Daffy, Joe Dante throws in references to a lot of spy films, SF films and other familiar material. I'm not sure that having Timothy Dalton playing a James Bond analog adds much, or that having the heroes of the film battle an army of grade-B sci-fi aliens from famous films and from one particular British TV show means anything to anyone who isn't a grade-B movie buff (as Dante is). But it works for him, much as it did in the hysterically over-the-tops Gremlins sequel of many years ago.
Lastly, there is Brendan Frasier, playing the usual comic role with his usual timing and skill, albeit as a second banana to a duck. He's not Bob Hoskins, but then Hoskins didn't have to compete with Daffy Duck.
The DVD has two interesting extras. The first is a set of deleted scenes, with some "commentary" from Bugs and Daffy. While the alternate opening and ending are not as good as the final choices, they are intriguing and rather funny. The second is a Road Runner/Coyote short by the film's creative team. While it's reasonably cute, it only proves that no one can do the Coyote justice as well as Chuck Jones.
Lion King 1 1/2...I should note that I have a discount card from Blockbuster to rent any film for $2 through April 14. Otherwise, I don't think I would have spent money on this. But it's pretty good for a Disney straight-to-home sequel, carried by a cute premise and the return of the original Lion King cast.
The idea is that Timon and Pumbaa had their own adventures off to the side. If Lion King is Hamlet, this is Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead. Many events are either revisited or referenced, often to a surprising amount of comic effect. It's also interesting that as usual, a Nathan Lane character is made "Jewish," here by giving him Julie Kavner as mother and Jerry Stiller as an uncle, and by throwing in a song from the one major Zero Mostel work Lane hasn't done yet. Funny thing, given that Lane is Irish. Lane shows again his talent for voicework, and I think some of Lane's own insecurity about his life and his stardom trickle into his performance.
The film also has a certain degree of MST3K-style fourth wall-busting, and while it gets silly sometimes, it reinforces the genial and silly tone of the film. It also does pad it out a bit, making it just barely 77 minutes.
If you liked the original film and need something to entertan the kids, you can do worse. If you are like me and thought the best thing about the film was the comic relief, you might enjoy this. if you loved the original with a passion, you might not love all the new info but you should enjoy some of it. If nothing else, it looks rather good for a Disney el cheapo animation job.
